Server control of hypertext transfer protocol client

Abstract

A method for controlling an HTTP client comprises the steps of establishing a connection between the HTTP client and a server and sending an event from the server to the HTTP client. The event passes over the HTTP connection and controls the HTTP client. The HTTP server sends the event without receiving a request for the event from the first HTTP client.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for controlling a first HTTP client comprising: 
 establishing a first HTTP connection between said first HTTP client and an HTTP server; and    sending an event to said first HTTP client from said HTTP server over said HTTP connection without said HTTP server receiving a request for said event from said first HTTP client.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said event comprises an HTTP response.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said HTTP response includes text to be displayed on a display of said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said HTTP response includes a URL.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of establishing said HTTP connection comprises said HTTP client requesting said connection and said HTTP server answering said request.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of establishing said HTTP connection comprises said HTTP server sending a multi-part document.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further including said HTTP server maintaining said HTTP connection.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further including said first HTTP client processing said received event.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further including said first HTTP client sending a second event to said HTTP server after said first HTTP client has received said event from said HTTP server.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said HTTP connection passes through an Internet.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first client is connected to a proxy server and said event passes through said proxy server.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said event passes through a firewall.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first HTTP client is a browser.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further including a step of establishing a second HTTP connection between said HTTP server and a second HTTP client.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further including a step of sending a second client event from a second HTTP client to said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said second client event is first sent to said HTTP server and then passed to said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said second event comprises an HTTP request and an HTTP response.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further including said second HTTP client sending said second client event to said HTTP server, said HTTP server processing said second client event and said server sending a third event to said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling an HTTP client comprising: 
 sending an event to a HTTP client from a server without said server receiving a request for said event from said HTTP client, said event controlling said HTTP client.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further including the step of establishing an HTTP connection between said HTTP client and said server before sending said event.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  farther including the step of sending a multi-part HTTP document from said server to said HTTP client before sending said event.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said step of establishing said HTTP connection comprises said HTTP client requesting said connection and said server answering said request.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said event comprises an HTTP response.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said HTTP connection passes through an Internet.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19  further including sending a second event from a second HTTP client to said HTTP client, said second event controlling said HTTP client.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further including sending said second event from said second HTTP client to a third HTTP client, said second event controlling said third HTTP client.  
     
     
         27 . A method for remotely controlling a first HTTP client by a second HTTP client, said method comprising: 
 establishing an HTTP connection between said first HTTP client and a second HTTP client,    sending an event to said first HTTP client from said second HTTP client over said HTTP connection, said event controlling said first client.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said HTTP connection comprises a first HTTP connection between said first HTTP client and a server and a second HTTP connection between said second HTTP client and said server.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said first HTTP client is a browser.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said HTTP connection passes through an Internet.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said event sent by said second client comprises an HTTP request and an HTTP response.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said server processes an HTTP request portion of said event and passes an HTTP response portion of said event.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said event is first sent to said server and passed to said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said event includes text to be displayed on a display of said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said event includes a URL.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said second HTTP client acts as a host sending several events to said first HTTP client.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said first HTTP client sends a second event to said second HTTP client.  
     
     
         38 . A method for providing web site assistance for a customer browser, said method comprising: 
 establishing a first connection between said customer browser and a server,    establishing a second connection between an agent browser and said server; and    sending an event to said customer browser from said agent browser over said connections, said event controlling said customer browser.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said first connection passes through an Internet.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said event is first sent to said server and passed to said customer browser.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further including said server processing an HTTP request portion of said event and passing an HTTP response portion of said event to said customer browser.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said event includes text to be displayed by said customer browser.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said event includes a URL of a web page to be displayed by said customer browser.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38  further including said customer browser sending a second event to said agent browser.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said event and said second event comprise text message for a web chat between said customer browser and said agent browser.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said event comprise a URL for a co-browse said customer browser and said agent browser.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38  further including the step of providing a list of web chat texts on said agent browser and allowing said agent to select one of said web chat texts to send as said event.  
     
     
         48 . A method for pushing a web page to a customer browser, said method comprising: 
 creating a first connection between said customer browser and a server, creating a second connection between an agent browser and said server;    sending an event comprising a URL of said web page displayed on said agent browser to said customer browser from said agent browser over said connections; and    processing said event by said customer browser causing said customer browser to request said URL and display said web page.    
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  further including the steps of performing an action on said web page by said agent browser, sending a second event comprising said action from said agent browser to said customer browser, processing said second event by said customer browser to display said action.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48  further including the steps of performing an action on said web page by said customer browser, sending a third event comprising said action from said customer browser to said agent browser, processing said third event by said agent browser to display said action.  
     
     
         51 . A method for pulling a web page from a customer browser, said method comprising: 
 creating a first connection between said customer browser and a server,    creating a second connection between an agent browser and said server;    sending a first event to said customer browser from said agent browser over said connections;    processing said first event by said customer browser, said event causing said customer browser to generate a second event comprising a URL of said web page;    sending said second event to said agent browser from said customer browser over said connections; and    processing said second event by said agent browser, said second event causing said agent browser to go to said URL and display said web page on an agent display.    
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  further including the steps of performing an action on said web page by said customer browser, sending a third event comprising said action from said customer browser to said agent browser, processing said third event by said agent browser to display said action.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51  further including the steps of performing an action on said web page by said agent browser, sending a third event comprising said action from said agent browser to said customer browser, processing said third event by said customer browser to display said action.  
     
     
         54 . A system for controlling a first client comprising a server capable of establishing a connection with said first client and sending an event to said first client without said first client requesting said event, said event controlling said first client.  
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said event comprises an HTTP response.  
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said server establishes said connection by answering a connection request received from said first client.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said server establishes said connection by sending a multi-part HTTP response to said first client.  
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said server is further capable of receiving a second event from said first client.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58  wherein said second event comprises an HTTP request.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said connection passes through an Internet.  
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said server is further capable of establishing a second connection with a second client and receiving a second event from said second client, said server sends said second event to said first client, said second event controls said first client.  
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61  wherein said server receives said second event and processes an HTTP request portion of said second event and sends an HTTP portion of said second event to said first client.  
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said server is capable of establishing a third connection with a third client and receiving a second event from said second client, said server sends said second event to said first client and said third client, said second event controls said first client and said third client.